6.16.2011

today's art class: gesture drawings

I have started teaching private art classes for the summer and I am having so much fun. (So, if any of you are interested in taking classes--any age welcome--or know anyone who would be interested send me an email! BridgetLSmith@gmail.com)

In my class that came today, I have students ages 9-12. We have been talking about breaking figures of animals and people down into simple shapes. Today we added to the shapes with gesture drawings. The idea of a gesture drawing is to make a very quick impression of the figure you are drawing that captures their movement and the overall gesture their body is making. This is most easily accomplished by drawing one smooth, continuous line that mimics the shape of their spine from the head all the way down their body, and then to the grounding foot. So something like the figure on the left.

Figure drawing has always been one of my favorite types of drawing. Ah. I love it.